Bechamel sauce - used in the recipe Lasagne 

Bechamel sauce (a.k.a. Besciamella)

Preparation: 5 mins
Cooking: 10-15 mins
    
Difficulty: Easy
    
Vegetarian

This is the basic recipe you can use for many different preparations. I like to flavour the bechamel sauce with a pinch of nutmeg, but if you do not like nutmeg, you can try with a pinch of white ground pepper instead. Remember, if you want a more liquid bechamel sauce, add a bit more milk. If you want a thicker sauce, add a bit more flour. Usually, when the bechamel sauce is intended to be used for preparation of lasagne, I try to keep the bechamel sauce a bit liquid in order to moister the lasagne sheets.

Ingredients:

• 570 ml (1 pint) Milk
• 50 g (2 oz) Butter
• 50 g (2 oz) Plain flour
• 4 g (½ tsp) Salt
• A pinch of nutmeg

Note: the quantities I have given are intended for the preparation of bechamel sauce needed to preapare a 4-6 portions of lasagne.

Directions:

After having warmed the milk (usually I put the jug in the microwave for 3 minutes), add a pinch of nutmeg.

Add the salt.

Stir.

Put the butter into a saucepan, on a medium heat, and melt it.

Just when the butter starts bubbling, add the flour gradually and while doing that, whisk constantly.

Whisk until all the flour is coated with butter and the colour of the mix starts to become darker. All this operation should last about 1 minute.

Add all the milk gradually and meanwhile keep whisking. Whisking will break the flour and avoid the formation of lumps.

Once you are sure that all the flour and butter are completely mixed with the milk, then switch from whisking to gently stirring and turn the heat down to low.

Keep stirring gently until the sauce thickens. Then, you can remove the pan from the heat and set aside. You bechamel sauce is now ready.

---

Like the recipes? Bookmark us!